I adore Thanksgiving. I love the food, I love the jovial spirit people are in now that they are on their first vacation since Summer. In my family, Thanksgiving is not celebrated for the fact that we Europeans committed near genocide against millions of Native Americans (the Pilgrims, first Thanksgiving, yada yada). Instead, our family celebrates all of the great things we have accomplished throughout the last year. We think about how far we have come on our goals and recognise those accomplishments as a family.
We also celebrate the closeness of family. During hard times we rely on our family members to help us through. Thanksgiving is a celebration of the love and dedication we have for our family and what we go through to spend time with them. If you have any doubts about this just watch any of the comedic films on visiting the family for the holidays. You don't want to go, but you love them so much you are going to go through the torture of holiday travel and sleeping on the couch next to cousin Margaret to visit.
So this year I am grateful for:
- a stable income, this is the first year I can say we are keeping our heads above water and even have been able to pay off some nagging debt. Even though my computer is broken at least I have the money to fix it. Couldn't say the same last year when I was a starving student.
- a roof over my head, because last year I barely had one myself.
- my country, we are truly lucky to live in a place where we can be free to be who we want to be (for the most part).
- my husband, who works like a superhero to put food on the table and is my best friend. I couldnt have dreamed up a better partner.
- my daughter, who has taught me some of the greatest lessons about myself and about what is important in life.
- my readers who give me boosts of confidence, inspire me to create more, and remind me that there are others like me in the world.
- those who taught me to knit, sew or craft, they have given me a great gift. I always loved this saying "You can give a man a fish and it will feed him for a day, or you can teach that man to fish and feed him for life". Making things feeds my soul.
- my Step Dad and Mom, who taught me to always try to see things from the other person's perspective. When we can be empathetic and understanding toward one another then there can be a chance for peace in our world.
What are you grateful for this year? And, if you are American, what are your plans for Thanksgiving?
I am grateful for my good health and for the love of family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving celebration to you!!
Posted by: Christy | November 18, 2010 at 04:51 PM